Jeremy Corbyn has appeared to compare Israel to "various self-styled Islamic states and organisations" at the launch of Labour's antisemitism report.

He said: "Our Jewish friends are no more responsible for the actions of Israel or the Netanyahu Government than our Muslim friends are for those of various self-styled Islamic states or organisations."

A Labour MP who stormed out of a party press conference after being verbally abused by one of Mr Corbyn's grassroots supporters has called on the leader to resign immediately after he failed to intervene.

Ruth Smeeth said Mr Corbyn had shown a "catastrophic failure of leadership" and must step down to make way for "someone with the backbone to confront racism and anti-Semitism".

Marc Wadsworth, who runs Momentum Black Connexions, accused the Jewish MP of "working hand in hand" with the Daily Telegraph.

Ms Smeeth said: "I call on Jeremy Corbyn to resign immediately and make way for someone with the backbone to confront racism and anti-Semitism in our party and in the country."

The Labour leader has insisted he condemns "any abuse of MPs of any kind" but Ms Smeeth said that under his leadership, the party "cannot be a safe space for British Jews".

Mr Corbyn had ignored the criticism of Ms Smeeth during the event, instead focusing on the contents of the review carried out by Shami Chakrabarti.

Mr Wadsworth said: "I have Jewish family and I am a lifelong fighter against anti-semitism and racism. I did not know who Ruth Smeeth was or that she was Jewish. My comments were intended as a tongue-in-cheek repost to the journalist."

She was expected to announce her candidacy at 3pm, but has delayed standing.

MPs close to her camp say there is a feeling the party needs more time and that the decision is such an important one it cannot be rushed.

Fifty MPs are expected to back Ms Eagle, the former shadow business secretary, triggering a bruising leadership contest that could last months.

However, former shadow work and pensions secretary Owen Smith is also said to be considering a challenge and has reportedly collected nominations from dozens of MPs.

A YouGov poll for The Times suggested that Mr Corbyn might win a leadership contest, but his support had fallen away since May.

The survey, carried out between Monday and Thursday as the embattled leader struggled to maintain his position, found 50 percent of Labour members surveyed would vote for Mr Corbyn but 47 percent would not - down from the 64-33 percent lead in May.

The YouGov poll indicated that Mr Corbyn would beat Ms Eagle by 50 percent to 40 percent if they went head to head.

Despite the mayhem within the Labour ranks in Westminster, 51 percent of the party's members believed Mr Corbyn was doing well, with 48 percent saying he was doing badly.

Some 44 percent said he should step down now as leader of the Labour Party, according to the study, but 60 percent said he should lead the party into the next general election.

The Labour leader’s office is confident they can see off the challenge by recruiting 100,000, £3 temporary members, gaining funding from the unions and deploying supporters from Momentum, the pro-Corbyn activist group.

60,000 people join Labour as Corbyn seeks support to see off leadership challenge

A leadership challenge against Jeremy Corbyn was postponed yesterday as supporters of the leader claimed tens of thousands of new members have joined the party to head off a plot to remove him.

Angela Eagle, the former shadow business secretary, had been expected to launch her campaign to run as an alternative leader of the party but a press conference scheduled for 3pm yesterday was postponed.

It came as sources close to Mr Corbyn claimed that 60,000 new members have flooded to join the party in the last seven days.

20,000 have been checked and over half are thought to have joined to support Mr Corbyn in "a historic shift" to prevent a leadership challenge by Labour MPs.

Jeremy CorbynCredit:
Getty

A source working to recruit "progressive" MPs to counter new Momentum supporters said they are confident they have also won thousands of new members who want to see Mr Corbyn removed.

Mr Corbyn has endured days of uncertainty after more than 50 of his shadow cabinet quit in protest at his refusal to step down following a vote of no confidence in his leadership.

He must still fill over 60 jobs in his front bench team in order to run an effective opposition, although it is understood that some MPs may take two briefs.

Speaking at an event in London Mr Corbyn refused to take questions about his leadership but told journalists "I am the leader", conceding that he has had "a torrid few days".

A source close to Ms Eagle, who has gained the support of the 51 MPs needed to mount a challenge to Mr Corbyn's leadership of the party, said she is prepared to give the leader more time to consider his position in the wake of numerous calls for him to step down.

Angela EagleCredit:
i-Images

They said: "Jeremy Corbyn does not look like a man who wants to be leader anymore, he can only stay for as long as he thinks it is in the best interests of the party and there is still time for him to do the right thing and step down.

"Angela is the unity candidate, she is not flinching and will challenge Jeremy but for the sake of the party we are allowing him more time to do the right thing.

"She has a lot of support from MPs and is prepared to take him on."

Yesterday it emerged that Owen Smith, the former shadow work and pensions secretary, is also considering running for the leadership but both MPs are understood to want to wait for Mr Corbyn to step down voluntarily in order to avoid running against him in a fresh leadership race.

If Mr Corbyn resigns he must gather enough signatures to stand again, whereas he will be automatically included in the ballot if MPs challenge him directly.

Sources close to the leader denied reports that Seumas Milne, his director of communications and John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, are preventing Mr Corbyn from resigning despite his own misgivings about his leadership.

The source conceded that a leadership campaign is looking "increasingly likely" and issued a warning to MPs opposing Mr Corbyn claiming "if they want to be independent, let them be. Jeremy is not stepping down".

Earlier this week Tom Watson, the deputy leader who has ruled himself out of the running to replace Mr Corbyn, criticised Mr McDonnell's hold over the leader.

Two of Mr Corbyn's closest allies Clive Lewis and Cat Smith, both part of his front bench team, denied reports that they have sought meetings with the leader to encourage him to step down in the wake of a mass revolt.

Anti-Semistism a report a 'whitewash'

Jonathan Sacerdoti, director of communications at the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, has said Labour's report was a whitewash and attacked Mr Corbyn.

He said: "It did not examine the disgraceful cases of anti-Semitism in the party, or their even more disgraceful mishandling by the party leadership, including Jeremy Corbyn, who presides over a regime of the lightest slaps on wrists for even the most offensive and deliberate anti-Semites.

"Inexcusably, the inquiry proposes making it harder to suspend anti-Semites and keeping suspensions secret so as not to affect elections.

"Additionally the inquiry dismisses any claims of anti-Semitism arising from sharing a stage with anti-Semites, and suggests that any anti-Semitic incident coming to light after more than two years should not be considered - a limitation period so short it has no parallel in any other disciplinary regime that we are aware of.

"Apart from imploring Labour activists to stop calling Jews 'Zios' or accusing them of supporting Nazi policies, this inquiry is a vague, meaningless whitewash that will do nothing to rid Labour of anti-Semitism or address the total absence of leadership it has shown on this issue.

"For Jeremy Corbyn to compare Israel to Isis during his event dedicated to anti-Semitism only goes to show just how little grasp he has of this pressing problem for his party."

'United we stand, divided we fall'

The leader of the Labout party has sent a defiant emial to members of the Party in which he says: "United we stand, divided we fall".

United we stand, divided we fall is one of the oldest and truest slogans of the Labour movement.

After last week’s referendum, our country faces major challenges. Risks to the economy and living standards are growing. The public is split.

The government is in disarray. Ministers have made it clear they have no exit plan, but are determined to make working people pay with a new round of cuts and tax rises.

Labour has the responsibility to give a lead where the government will not. We need to bring people together, hold the government to account, oppose austerity and set out a path to exit that will protect jobs and incomes.

To do that we need to stand together. Since I was elected leader of our party nine months ago, we have repeatedly defeated the government over its attacks on living standards. Last month, Labour become the largest party in the local elections. In Thursday’s referendum, a narrow majority voted to leave, but two thirds of Labour supporters backed our call for a Remain vote.

I was elected leader of our party, for a new kind of politics, by 60% of Labour members and supporters. The need for that different approach now is greater than ever.

Our people need Labour party members, trade unionists and MPs to unite. As leader it is my continued commitment to dedicate our party’s activity to that goal.

Israel’s former foreign minister hits out at Corbyn

Corbyn's comments 'offensive'

The incumbent Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis has issued the following statement in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn's comments at the launch of the Chakrabti Report.

"The comments by the Leader of the Labour Party at the launch, however they were intended, are themselves offensive, and rather than rebuilding trust among the Jewish community, are likely to cause even greater concern.

"Full and unhesitating implementation of the report's findings must now follow. I call upon the Labour Party to guarantee that there will be zero tolerance of antisemitism".

Corbyn's comments 'an outrage'

Lord Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi has waded into Labour's antisemitism row by releasing a statement on his website in which he accused the Labour leader's of "comparison of the State of Israel to ISIS" at Labour's unveiling of its antisemitism report as a "demonisation of the highest order, an outrage and unacceptable".

The former Chief Rabbi who now sits as a Crossbencher in The House of Lords added: "That this occurred at the launch of the report into the Labour Party’s recent troubles with antisemitism shows how deep the sickness is in parts of left of British politics today.

"Israel is a democratic state with an independent judiciary, a free press and a diverse population of many cultures, religions and creeds.

"ISIS is a terrorist entity whose barbarities have been condemned by all those who value our common humanity. In the current political climate, when hate crimes are rising and political rhetoric is increasingly divisive, this is all the more shocking".

The statement came after Mr Corbyn apparently compared Israel to the Islamic State at the launch of Labour's report on alleged antisemitism within the party.

MP attacked by Corbyn suppporter calls on Leader to go

Ruth Smeeth, the Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent North & Kidsgrove, has written this statement on the events this morning.

"This morning, at the launch of the Chakrabarti Inquiry into antisemitism, I was verbally attacked by a Momentum activist and Jeremy Corbyn supporter who used traditional antisemitic slurs to attack me for being part of a 'media conspiracy'.

It is beyond belief that someone could come to the launch of a report on antisemitism in the Labour Party and espouse such vile conspiracy theories about Jewish people, which were ironically highlighted as such in Ms Chakrabarti's report, while the leader of my own party stood by and did absolutely nothing."

"People like this have no place in our party or our movement and must be opposed. Until today I had made no public comment about Jeremy’s ability to lead our party, but the fact that he failed to intervene is final proof for me that he is unfit to lead, and that a Labour Party under his stewardship cannot be a safe space for British Jews.

"I have written to the General Secretary of the Labour Party and the Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party to formally complain about this morning’s events."

"No-one from the Leader’s office has contacted me since the event, which is itself a catastrophic failure of leadership.

"I call on Jeremy Corbyn to resign immediately and make way for someone with the backbone to confront racism and antisemitism in our party and in the country."

MP storms out after attack by Corbyn suppporter

Jeremy Corbyn's launch of a report into anti-Semitism in Labour is overshadowed by MP Ruth Smeeth storming out of the press conference after being accused of colluding with the Daily Telegraph by one of her leader's grassroots supporters.

MPs close to her camp say there is a feeling the party needs more time and that the decision is such an important one it cannot be rushed.

Ms Eagle, the former shadow business secretary, is understood to have enough names to launch the contest but wants to take more time to speak to colleagues and form a clear idea of what to offer Labour voters in a bid to persuade them away from Mr Corbyn.

Eagle delay partly because Labour MPs still hope Corbyn may resign (I see no sign of that).

It follows a report on BBC Newsnight last night which showed that 45 of 50 local Labour groups would still back Mr Corbyn if there was a leadership race, making it difficult for a challenger to take him on and win, that may have contributed to the decision today.

Owen Smith, the former shadow Work and Pensions secretary is also considering putting his name forward, it is understood. Although the party is clear that there can only be one candidate to take on Mr Corbyn if a race is triggered.

Staffers working for both Mr Smith and Ms Eagle have turned off their phones, we are expecting confirmation shortly.

But at a press conference held to launch Labour's review into anti-Semitism in the party, Mr Corbyn refused to take questions on how much longer he can survive in the face of overwhelming opposition from his own MPs.

Claims by one of his grassroots supporters that Ruth Smeeth, a Jewish MP, was in cahoots with the Daily Telegraph led to her walking out of the event.

After listening to Q @RuthSmeeth leaves launch of antisemitism report in tears, visibly shaken. Momentum man later refuses to apologise.

"The last year, with all its highs and lows, has left me with every confidence that Labour has the potential to be a powerful and transformatory movement capable of winning the next general election, whenever that comes."

He added: "But my confidence and optimism are not naive.

"We all know that despite the overwhelming mandate I was given by Labour Party members and supporters last year, we have all had a torrid few days, well, at least I have."

Corbyn attacks Boris and Gove over racist comments

Jeremy Corbyn attacks Boris Johnson and Michael Gove over their controversial Brexit campaign comments and highlights how many people backed him as Labour leader compared to the smaller number who will elect David Cameron's successor.

Corbyn compares Israel to Isil

Jeremy Corbyn is speaking at the launch of Labour's antisemitism report.

He says: "Our Jewish friends are no more responsible for the actions of Israel or the Netanyahu Government than our Muslim friends are for those of various self-styled Islamic states or organisations."

Asked by PoliticsHome whether he was comparing Israel to a terrorist group, Mr Corbyn said: "No, no of course I'm not. The point in the report is that you shouldn't say to somebody just because they're Jewish, you must have an opinion on Israel. Any more than you say to anyone who is a Muslim you must have an opinion on any vile action that's been taken by misquoting the good name of Islam. I just ask people to be respectful and inclusive in their debate."

"Our Jewish friends" are no more responsible for Netanyahu than Muslims are for ISIS, Corbyn says.

Mr Corbyn added: “I will continue - as Labour Leader - to pursue the causes of peace and justice in Israel-Palestine, the wider Middle East and all over the world. But those who claim to do so with hateful or inflammatory language do no service to anyone, especially dispossessed and oppressed people in need of better advocacy.

“Of course we as Labour Party members must all be free to criticise and oppose injustice and abuse wherever we find it. But as today's Report recommends, can we please leave Hitler and Nazi metaphors alone (especially in the context of Israel). Why? Because the Shoah is still in people's family experience.

Corbyn: "Our Jewish friends are no more responsible for the actions of Israel than our Muslim friends are for the self-styled Islamic State"

"If every human rights atrocity is described as a Holocaust, Hitler's attempted obliteration of the Jewish people is diminished or de-recognised in our history.

"Other human rights atrocities from African slavery to the killing fields of Cambodia, the Armenian and Rwandan Genocides are all of course to be remembered, but diluting their particularity or comparing degrees of evil does no good.

Eagle: I'll be saying something later today

Former shadow business secretary Angela Eagle still won't reveal if she'll stand against Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn adding: "I'll be saying something later today" after being doorstepped outside her home.

MPs do not 'own the Labour Party'

Corbyn loyalist Barry Gardiner - promoted to the shadow energy secretary role after the mass resignations - said MPs had to recognise the PLP "does not own the Labour Party".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the vote had changed little as it was clear the leader had "never had" the confidence of many Westminster colleagues and accused critics of "letting the Government off the hook".

Some MPs suggested Mr Corbyn was willing to quit but was being kept in place by allies and advisers on the left of the party.

Barry Sheerman tweeted: "Sure Jeremy Corbyn would have decided to resign but it appears John McDonnell has instructed him to stay put.

Labour Party is 'peril'

Good Morning,

Last night Tom Watson, teh deputy leader of the Labour Party, warned the party was "in peril" after Jere,y Corbyn refused to discuss some form of "negotiated settlement" following Tuesday's unprecedented vote of no confidence by Labour MPs.

He told BBC News: "My party is in peril, we are facing an existential crisis and I just don't want us to be in this position because I think there are millions of people in this country who need a left-leaning government."

Jeremy Corbyn and Tom WatsonCredit:
Heathcliff O'Malley

The big Labour-supporting trade unions indicated in a statement that they would not stand in the way of a contest if it was carried out "through the proper democratic procedures provided for in the party's constitution".

Mr Watson's intervention came after former leaders Ed Miliband, Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman joined calls for Mr Corbyn to quit.

"I went to see Jeremy today to see whether we could find a way of getting a negotiated settlement but he was unwilling to move from the position he is in. We are still in an impasse," he said.

"He has obviously been told to stay by his close ally John McDonnell. They are a team and they have decided they are going to tough this out. So it looks like the Labour Party is heading for some kind of contested election."

Mr McDonnell dismissed the claim as "ludicrous" and indicated that he was confident that Mr Corbyn would see off any challenge to his leadership.